Casanova

[Aldercy]

...Who says librarians can’t be sexy? A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.

Why am I trying to test this when we've just turned on the heat for the first time this year? The weird sooty vent smell is interfering with my perfume, damn it!

Casanova has a "classic" men's cologne feel. It's a very smooth, lavender-dusted suede. A tiny hint of bergamot, but all the other notes are completely non-existent for me. Slightly "cold" for a leather scent... not at all rustic. This is suave city leather. A scent for business men with dozens of slim electronic devices in every pocket of their tailored suits.

I'd slather Casanova all over a boy, but I don't see myself wearing it much. Edited October 26, 2009 by Shollin

[Veronica]

This is definitely a men's scent. It starts of strong and sharply leather and--I don't know what it is, patchoulie or bergamont or tonka, but its slightly herbally and smoky, it reminds me of the herbal cigarettes people smoke around here. At this stage, its way too sharp and strong for me, but after drydown the smokiness and leather fade away and it becomes a much creamier, gentle spicey scent, with the smoky leather lingering lightly in the background. I like the drydown, but the initial omg!man is a bit too much for me.

[fairestrocza]

Another entry in the Quest for the Perfect Lavender...

 

In the Imp: 1st time: cheap cologne; 2nd time: beautiful lavender with a touch of… mint?

 

Wet on Skin: minty/sagey lavender, true Lamiaceae, beautiful!

 

While Drying: musky, Lamiaceae mostly gone, occasional whiffs of leather, citrus, lavender

 

After a Little While: very changeable

 

Later: gave me a HEADACHE when The Boy was wearing it, and later when I tried a very light dose (maybe a different batch would help? I didn't get this reaction when The Boy tested an old imp)

 

Final Thoughts: This one is killing me. Wet, it is exactly the lavender I've been looking for. I first experienced it at a friends house when she let The Boy try it on - I liked it enough to order an imp for him. When he sampled the new imp, we went for a car ride shortly after... I had to roll down the windows and stick my head outside. I figured that either we had applied too much, or it was clashing with the scent I was wearing. A few days later I dabbed a *tiny* bit on my wrist, outside, and sure enough - 10 minutes later I started developing a headache. I am tempted to blame the 'leather' note, because the rest of the notes work on me in other blends. *sigh* I think I'll keep this one around and see if aging makes the difference between headache and dreamy.

Cassanova earns a 2/5 for now.

 

[levelek]

Another frimp from the lab.

 

In the vial: smells like a sophisticated man's cologne, with lots of lavender.

 

On wet: as above. The patchouli is more apparent.

 

On drydown: turns more citrussy and creamy. Patchouli goes away again. The lavender is still there, and it's still a very male scent (suprise!). It's reminding me of Detox at the moment, except with a heavy base that is leaning on its elbow and wiggling its eyebrow at me.

 

I wonder what is making it smell so manly to me. Not that I wouldn't wear it! Another kickass work scent.

[Stormslegacy]

In the imp: Potent herbs.

 

Wet: Holy cow herbal stuff. Very very green. Within a couple minutes it expands into a very masculine cologne that is like some of the more popular guy deodorants. This REEKS of boy. This is like, Axe deodorant.

 

Drydown: Still smells like deodorant. A complex and interesting one. If this were on a guy I would be huffing his skin Very sexy blend. As it matures, I can start to pick out the individual notes. The lavender is particularly nice, and the tonka provides an interesting platform for the rest of the scent to play on.

 

Conclusion: Some scents are unisex, and others can be pulled off by the right kind of woman. This is not one of those scents--this is bottled MALE. I can't picture the kind of woman this might work on. I wish my SO would wear scents, this is a blend I could see working on him.

 

[whisperstilled]

Sexy. As. Hell.

If this is what a boy librarian smells like, I want one. Starts off with a good amount of patchouli wet, then dies back and I get more of the lavender. I get no leather really, which was a bit of a disappointment, since I love leather, but the rest of this totally made up for it. Really well-blended - aside from the lavender, it's hard to pick out individual notes, particularly with my brain simply screaming that it is not one thing I am smelling, but gorgeous, attractive librarian man. Absolute keeper.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Whisperstilled

[RhinestoneHousewife]

I got this as a frimp from the Lab.

 

In bottle: As others have said, very mens cologne-y.

 

Wet on skin: I think it smells like Calvin Klein Obsession?

 

Dry on skin: Definitely reminds me of a Ck fragrance but it's much more sexy and sophisticated. I can't detect any single notes but it's all working for me. Masculine.

 

An hour: It's settled down, but still very sexy. I'd totally flirt with a boy or girl wearing this. Yummy. I can't help but sniff my arm.

 

Verdict: I think I need a bottle of this. I've been using it as a layering scent. Something a bit more girly to even in out a bit. It's a very masculine scent, but I think anyone can wear it if they like it. I've layered it with Plunder and Poisoned Apple so far. I'd also like to try it with Yule Cat and see what happens......

[raisin]

One of my very first bottles, and I absolutely adore it.

 

Took a risk in ordering a bottle straight away, but I saw "lavender", "leather", and "librarian" and figured I couldn't easily go wrong.

 

I love lavender, but have trouble with florals, so the masculinity of this scent is totally appealing. I very much get the lavender I wanted, and the leather stands out fairly well (it's absolutely the "expensive old book" sort of leather). I'm not great at picking out the other scents, partially because they all blend together so beautifully. I had been worried about the patchouli, but that just seems to mingle nicely.

 

This is that complex lavender scent I've been looking for, and an absolute winner. It's not as masculine as I feared, and it's certainly something I could wear every day. I'm just in love.

[ami226]

 

Huh. Getting a lot of some herbal scent. Bergamot maybe? Lavender? Huh, a bit too strong and cologney for me.

[sparkleyturtle]

Wow... very strong, masculine scent. It has a good throw. I am definitely getting the leather and tonka, I think. Nice and warm.

 

I would definitely have my nose stuck to a guy that had this on. That being said, it is a bit strong on my hand, but wow.... nice.

[FathomBelow]

The last and one of the best of the "men" scents I'm testing (the others being Villain, Vicomte de Valmont, and Calico Jack).

In the imp and on my skin, wet: A really acrid, sharp, sap-like herbal smell that turned my stomach a little. I wonder what it could be coming from - the leather? Fortunately, it quickly settles down...

On my skin, dry: This is much better. The leather (very soft and nice, now), anise, and lavender seem to be most prominent on my skin, with the bergamot and lemon peel faint but lightening everything up, and the tonka and amber making it ever so slightly sweet. The patchouli isn't even detectable. Very much a cologne, but in a good way.

Final opinion: If I thought Vicomte de Valmont was a father-figure type scent, Casanova is that times one hundred. But that's because this smells like L'Occitane's 4 Voleurs, which my own dad is fond of wearing. Therefore, this makes me feel safe and at home, but it definitely does not scream "sexy librarian." In fact, Dad + sexy librarian = threat of head exploding.

Edited June 18, 2010 by AmberApple

[sarielswish]

 

In the vial, it's all anise, lavender, and bergamot. Herbal, herbal, herbal. And talk about MASCULINE! Color - redwood.

 

Wet on my skin - Still *very* herbal, but now I'm getting some of the leather. No patchouli, amber or tonka, though.

 

10-15 minute drydown - There's the tonka. Very warm. Most definitely more for the hubby than me, but it smells quite nice. Very clean and herbal.

[Argentwolf]

As noted above, this smells like lavender and mint, with a bit of a peppery undertone to it. Alas, while it smells clean enough in the imp, it threatens to turn into Axe cologne on me. Sigh.

[tajana]

Wet: Maddeningly familiar. The anise is in there, alright, but it's fused well enough with the other notes that it doesn't bother me at all, and in fact, is an asset here! (I usually really dislike it.) I can't tell what it reminds me of. It's clean, but it doesn't make me think of soap... it's tickling at some scent memory but I can't dust it off to tell exactly what. Hmm. It's lightly herbal, bergamot and lavender are peeking out, but it's smoothed over with softness.

 

Dry: Well rounded cologne, comfortingly familiar and androgynous, leaning masculine. It smells like scraps of black leather braided with black licorice and sprigs of lavender dusted with a woodsy vanilla (tonka) powdered sugar. A soft amber-patchouli base grounds everything on a slightly sweet note, but the clean snap of leather and herbal quality of the lavender keep things crisp. Dries down to a vaguer but more snuggly smell... the amber is powdery, but not in a bad way, since its complimented well by a hint of creaminess and the clean brush of lavender/leather/anise.

 

Overall: I popped this onto my wishlist on a whim, since I thought that the notes looked good together. And they do work well, at least with my skin chemistry! The far drydown smells vaguely like a favorite of mine, The Bow & Crown of Conquest- it's vanilla herbal leather, only in different proportions. Casanova has a twist of licorice and its vanillic creaminess is only a soft supplement to the soft ambery note. Often, powdery amber bothers me, but again, this scent is so well balanced that it feels right. A keeper!

[obsidienne]

Oh my god, this is such a sexy leather! I've let this dry down too far to pay attention to the wet stages, but dry it's a soft and sweet leather with warm tonka and anise (very faint, not turning into medicine) giving it a cozy edge. The patchouli reads as a deeper type of patchouli, and isn't dry in the least. The herbal notes are faint, but still there, spicing it up. The anise and tonka are kind of reading as vanilla in my nose. Wow. Yum. This is a lighter blend, however, and there isn't a lot of throw or lasting power.

 

I gave the imp to my boyfriend because it rang as slightly more masculine than feminine... but I'm probably going to steal swipes of it from him because this is fantastic. Casanova deserves more love!

Edited October 7, 2010 by obsidienne

[Roogna]

At first it's just a very nice men's cologne

 

but after an hour or two the leather comes out nicely making it a wonderful suave and sexy leather-cologne

 

this is not one for slathering as it's strong, but it's very nice

[SophieCedar]

Wet: men's cologne blend.. anise, leather, lavender, patchouli. Slightly tart and strong at this phase. It's not unpleasant or too old spicey. Just aromatic and warm with a clean edge

 

Drydown: it's like a variation of Bow & Crown without sage! Lovely smooth leather and tonka with a touch of anise and lavender left over. The patchouli is slightly more pronounced but blends incredibly well with the others. Warm, refined, clean without being annoyingly squeaky. Just the right amount of groomed muskiness.

[yakiguri]

Tested on the hubby, as this is way too masculine for me, and I typically wear masculine-slanting blends.

 

In Imp: WHOA bergamot and anise, how are you? This is quite herbal, yet clean, like wet spring grass after the rain, with licorice. But in a good way.

 

Wet: Pretty much the same, and boy is this guy STRONG. Will only use a dab next time!

 

Dry, and later: There you are leather and patchouli, I was wondering where you were! Though you are still pretty quiet, but I'm glad to see how well you're getting along with bergamot and anise. Lavender comes and goes, but where is your friend tonka?

 

Very nice with proper application. Bottle! I'm reminded a bit of Irish Spring soap, but I like the smell of it, so no problem.

[impolight]

:::CASANOVA:::

 

The myriad associations that come with this particular BPAL blend are enough to send even the most reserved reviewer into apoplectics.

Even imagining a fragrance that represnts the penultimate seducer and playboy is a feat that few would dare attempt.

There is every confidence that Casanova will make it's way to the top of the list with very little effort.

This was the first bottle of the three that arrived in the latest order that was uncapped for a precursory sniff...

The knees immediately went awobble and this was locked safely away; the head whirling!

Impossibly good! An intimidating and daunting feat awaits.

To try and encapsulate the sensations that attack multiple senses at once using lucid language will be quite the undertaking!Nothing can prepare even the most seasoned reviewer, the hapless myrmidon, from the phenomenon in store for them as they dare to encounter the wiley and ambitious formula that is Casanova!

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here, truly!

There is a huge range of really extraordinary notes that have been packed into Casanova.

It's difficult to predict which one would take precedence because so many of the would work as dominants that would more than efficiently carry and compliment endless combinations of the other notes.

So much quality in such a wee bottle!

There isn't the least bit of room for Casanova to go wrong in any way.

From the Bottle: This is devastatingly good.

The experience is almost psychadelically enhanced! All the notes are perfect, readily identifiable, yet all flawlessly blended to create a solid wall of NOM NOM NOM!

Gold has been struck!

If anything is at the top, it would be the Lavender... But only just.

The intermediates would be the Anise, Bergamot, and Amber... All of this rests in a hammock of Leather. Leather with creamy Tonak and Lemon pillows...

It would be very easy to be carried away by Casanova!

A library is a near perfect conceptualization! This would be some ancient library that is utterly vast, yet filled to bursting with leather-bound volumes.

Even the most aspiring bookworm could well live out the rest of their days languishing in little more than the offshore breezes and page-turnings; punctuated only by the curious availability of dalliances.

Casanova is an introspective yet astonishingly liberated sort of anthem to all that is good about sensualist birthright.

So far, Casanova seems to resonate with nuances that would be befitting of masculine body-chemisrty; while wholly original, Casanova leans more toward a cologne than a perfume at this phase.

On the Skin: The Anise really comes out to lend a sticky-sexy, shiny black highlight to the luminescent blues and purple of the Lavender.

The brilliant izles of the Bergamot dance and orbit around this glowing core... Imagine the birth of an olfactory galaxy for starters.

The Leather in Casanova is more subdued than it was imagined to be. It is clearly recogniseable, but seems reluctant to stand apart from the Tonka or the Lemon Peel.These have proven to be the Siamese Triplets of this blend with this experiment.

As Casanova begins to dry, it is the Lavender, Leather, Anise, and Bergamot that hold court overall... And all of these are really fantastic notes!

For those of you out there who REALLY miss Saint Germaine

 

*hand up, wiggling... Eyes wide... Licking lips*

 

Casanova comes awfully close to fitting snugly, smugly alongside it as top contenders for the supremacy of fragrances for Him in the entirety of the BPAL line.

There is a sweetness in Casanova that could play nice with Her skin chemistry... Yet would have more of an appeal to instinct were it to have transferred to her skin via desperate and hyperventilating contact with Him.

Spectrally, Casanova is purple, blue, green, aquamarine, fluorescent orange, gold, grey, powder, and black.

Casanova is really, really incredible.

Recommended for ANYONE who wants to feel really good about being a man...A very desireable man.

Casanova is smart and sexy.

Primped and perverse.

Noble and nasty.

Quite the accomplishment!

Thank you Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs!

[Missus]

Another one ordered for my husband. When he wears it, he smells clean - like he's fresh out of the shower and even a little soapy. The florals are evident, but masculine enough.

 

(I tried it myself, but something about my chemistry made the floral notes much less apparent. It became extra masculine.)

 

I don't favor it in the bottle, but on my husband, this is a 4. It smells very pleasant on him, and it's a good scent for a hot afternoon.

Edited April 14, 2011 by Missus

[thekittenkat]

In the imp: A manly scent, with all the notes swirling about.

 

Wet: Lemon peel, lavender, and bergamot are front and center.

 

The dry-down: Now the soft leather scent has appeared; it's the old, smooth leather note that I adore. The tonka is making itself present as a rather subtle sweet note that is helping to round out the scent. The patch is not overwhelming at all, just expressing itself as manly spices. The amber is giving off a bit of that powdery thing that it often does on my acidic skin. If the anise is present, I'm not really detecting it. The florals did calm down, and the brightness of the lemon peel zest was also subdued.

 

I can see this as a springtime scent for males or females. If Casanova smelled like this, it's no wonderful that he had very little trouble with the art of seduction. (Also, looking like David Tennant in the BBC production from a few years back wouldn't hurt, either. )

[angelamaria]

In imp: masculine! This is a wholly masculine scent to my nose, reminds me of my father, quite frankly. It’s sharp, almost piercing, green and very clean, the citrusy notes on top for me.

 

Wet on skin: this stays true to the imp scent to me, but the citrusy notes become even more prominent—I’m not sure which is which. Underneath everything there’s a sort of musty smell, not leather, and my untrained nose can’t pick it out or accurately describe it. It’s not a dirty smell, but it smells the opposite of the cleanness that is topmost here with me—it’s an interesting, intriguing contrast.

 

Dry: generally the same as the imp and wet smell, this is pretty faithful, although after a while I’m starting to get a faint metallic smell from it. I’m not sure what it is, it just strikes me as being slightly metallic. It comes and goes though, and to me it gets better the longer it is on my skin.

 

Verdict: it’s definitely not something I would wear; but it’s an interesting, nice scent for men and I wouldn’t mind smelling this on a guy.

[TheFrenchWaffle]

I'm kind of on the fence with this scent, I love it don't get me wrong, but it smells exactly like my grandfather's house which instantly takes away any sex appeal of the scent. Now my grandfather does collect old books so that could be the leather, but it just reminds of old people. Yet at the same time the lavender and bergamot work so well on my skin...

In the imp: Lavender!!! Beautiful wonderful lavender in all its sharp awesomeness! Something in the background mellowing it out, bergamot?

Wet: Lavender, front and center with bergamot on the side. Oh I can smell the tonka now, lovely!

Dry: What is this? Leather? Now it reminds me of my Grandfather's house, dear Lord now I am drawing parallels between Casanova and my Grandfather >.<!

A few more hours: Leather is very present, for me this has a strong connotation to old age (not quite sure how I feel). However, the lavender and lemon peel are there to temper the leather a bit. It smells slightly soapy (in a good clean, expensive soap, sort of way), I like it but am not sure if I really want to be smelling like my Grandfather's house. Very nostalgic smelling, but more of a house scent not exactly a perfume scent. I am a little nervous of what people will think (are they too polite to tell me I smell like an old lady?!), my mother is notorious for pointing this sort of thing out "Good Lord, who smells like they escaped from the old folks home!".

 

Final thoughts: I like it but I'm a tad insecure about it. I want to wear it but am terrified that people will hate the smell but be too polite to say so. So conflicted! Leather, why must you do this to me!

Edited May 5, 2011 by TheFrenchWaffle

[Gateau]

I picked this one as part of my quest to find interesting new scents for my husband.

 

In the imp -- can make out all the different notes (leather, lavender, tonka, lemon), all of which I love.

 

Wet -- heavy on the lavender, one of my favorite smells of all time. This is the first Lab blend containing lavender that I've actually liked.

 

Dry -- picking up more leather now, still getting lots of the lighter lemon and lavender. I'm not sensing much patchouli or tonka to hold those breezier notes down. This is more unisex than I'd expected, and is possibly too sweet for him and too masculine for me. I'll test again and try to test on him. It's a nice scent, we'll see if we end up using it or if it's destined for the swaps.

[a_llb]

In vial: Lemony, anise-y leather.

Wet: Lavender joins in, adding a little depth. Does remind of cologne.

Dry: Not much change from wet- lavender with licorice, leather and lemon.

 

Verdict: Lemon disagrees with my skin quite violently, no difference here. Though not for me, this will be good for those who like masculine scents, especially lighter ones. Excellent for summer, I'd think.